Avigilon's solution has improved the casino’s ability to respond to security events and resolve incidents
Secure entertainment experience
The challenge was to provide a safe entertainment experience for Prairie Meadows guests, protect high-value assets, and comply with state-mandated security requirements.
Avigilon video solution
Complete coverage of the casino with more than 200 Avigilon™ HD 1MP, 2MP, 3MP, 5MP, and 16MP cameras and 200 Avigilon Analogue Video Encoders to capture better image quality from its existing analogue cameras. The system is monitored live 24/7, 365 days a year using the Avigilon Control Centre (ACC) network video management software (NVMS) and 30 Avigilon HD Network Video Recorders (NVRs), which stores at minimum 7 days of continuous footage of the gaming floor and all other areas. The casino also deployed the Avigilon Control Centre HD License Plate Recognition (LPR) solution and plans to add more Avigilon HD 2MP cameras and Avigilon HD PTZ cameras in the second phase of its installation.
Advantages
Lower bandwidth and storage requirements
Faster search times
Evidence-quality image detail
Cost savings due to reduced maintenance and support required
Reduced power consumption
Faster response to incidents due to better overall protection
User-friendly surveillance
Prairie Meadows Racetrack Casino Hotel and conference centre was developed by the communities of Polk County in the 1980s, a time when Iowa’s agricultural industry was hard-hit. Prairie Meadows, a horse track, casino, hotel in Altoona, Iowa, was founded to create jobs, foster agriculture, boost tourism, and stimulate the economy. Although Prairie Meadows opened exclusively as a horse track in 1989, the company quickly morphed into the nation’s first “racino” – a combination horse track and casino, in 1995. Today, Prairie Meadows offers a 168-room hotel, more than 2,000 slot machines, 50 gaming tables, live and simulcast horse racing, ticketed entertainment, restaurants, lounges, and approximately 21,000 square feet of conference space that are second to none. Prairie Meadows invested in the state-of-the-art Avigilon high-definition surveillance system with the goal of providing a comfortable and truly memorable entertainment experience, while confidently meeting Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) security regulations.
Advanced functionality and excellent imaging
Spanning one million square feet, Prairie Meadows served more than 3 million customers in 2013. Their non-profit has donated more than $1.4 billion through taxes, grants and charitable contributions to the state of Iowa. Similar to many casinos and resorts, customer safety and asset protection are top priorities. In 2011, Prairie Meadows searched for a user-friendly solution to meet the growing needs of its business. “We wanted an IP-based surveillance system that would meet state requirements and grow with us as we expand,” said Brian Reffett, surveillance manager at Prairie Meadows.
“Avigilon delivers a surveillance solution that is extremely easy to use – we knew our team would pick it up quickly for faster and more successful investigations.”
On the recommendation of USA Security, a local provider of surveillance system design and installation, Prairie Meadows selected the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system for its advanced functionality, excellent image quality, reliability, and unsurpassed ease-of use. “Avigilon delivers a surveillance solution that is extremely easy to use – we knew our team would pick it up quickly for faster and more successful investigations,” said Reffett.
Broad coverage with enhanced image quality
Monitoring all entrances to the casino, the main gaming floor, restaurants, the event centre, parking lot, and all other outdoor spaces, the casino’s new surveillance system comprises of 800 cameras, including a combination of more than 200 Avigilon HD 1MP, 2MP, 3MP, 5MP, and 16MP cameras. To leverage its existing analogue-based cameras, Prairie Meadows installed 200 Avigilon analogue video encoders to vastly enhance image quality. Prairie Meadows is also preparing to deploy the Avigilon Control Centre HD License Plate Recognition (LPR) solution and plans to augment the system currently in place with Avigilon HD 2MP and Avigilon HD PTZ cameras.
The surveillance team monitors the system live 24x7, 365 days a year from the casino’s central control room using the Avigilon Control Centre (ACC) network video management software (NVMS.) Mandated by the IRGC, the casino installed 30 Avigilon Network Video Recorders (NVRs) for network retaining purposes. “The quality of Avigilon’s compression technologies reduces the amount of storage and bandwidth than we previously required,” said Reffett.
Managed by USA Security, the process of installation was quick and easy. Once the cameras were mounted, Reffett could easily make adjustments to the camera’s focus from the control room, which has already saved valuable time. The entire casino staff, from management to security personnel, is very pleased with the new Avigilon surveillance system. “Feedback has been extremely positive – everyone loves how fast they can now conduct searches,” said Reffett.
Speedy process with greater accuracy
With its user-friendly interface and advanced search capabilities, the Avigilon Control Centre software dramatically expedites searches and investigations. “We have cut our search times from hours to minutes,” confirmed Reffett. Monitoring such a large space, the integrated mapping feature helps the team quickly pinpoint an area of interest with the click of the mouse. Leveraging the thumbnail search feature, users can efficiently look through thumbnail-size frames to find changes in a scene. ACC’s pixel-search feature helps identify motion events so users can quickly and easily find an incident in question. “The fact that we can use the arrow keys on the keyboard to cycle through footage is useful because it speeds the process and provides greater accuracy.” With the time saved, ease of use and accuracy of the Avigilon system, employees can be redeployed to other tasks to ensure the safest gaming environment.
“Avigilon delivers more true colour with less pixilation, and we can easily zoom in for incredible detail from long distances”
Evidence-quality images
According to Reffett, a key selling feature of the Avigilon solution is its unparalleled image detail, which delivers evidence-quality images. “Avigilon delivers more true colour with less pixilation, and we can easily zoom in for incredible detail from long distances,” stated Reffett. In fact, with the ability to remotely zoom in and focus the Avigilon 16 MP HD Pro camera, Reffett can clearly read the signs at the other side of the casino’s large, open property. “Even though it is set up as an overview camera, the Avigilon 16 MP camera can still focus sharply to read license plates of vehicles as they enter our horse barn area as well,” he said.
“When we turned off the old DVRs, we got a call from our facilities department asking if we were experiencing an electrical outage – a sure sign that we have dramatically reduced our electrical needs.”
Cost effective with low power consumption
By delivering high-quality video evidence that is easy to manage, the Avigilon solution has dramatically improved the casino’s ability to respond to security events and resolve incidents. At the same time, the new system is more cost-effective than others because licensing fees are only applied once, unlike other vendors that charge extra. The Avigilon surveillance system also delivers greater uptime and requires less maintenance and support for additional savings. “With Avigilon, we don’t have to pay someone overtime to make repairs in the middle of the night,” commented Reffett.
Prairie Meadows has also noticed a marked reduction in power consumption since deploying the Avigilon system, leading to even greater utility savings. “When we turned off the old DVRs, we got a call from our facilities department asking if we were experiencing an electrical outage – a sure sign that we have dramatically reduced our electrical needs,” added Reffett.
Great customer service
“I would recommend the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system because it delivers shorter review times for faster response, better video quality, and greater reliability and scalability in a cost-effective package,” concluded Reffett, who is also impressed by Avigilon’s responsive customer service. “Avigilon is very good at listening to its customer and incorporating feedback into future upgrades to deliver the best surveillance solution possible.”

Challenge
Deploy a reliable, flexible, and high-quality surveillance system to create a safe, comfortable, and entertaining spectator experience.
Solution
Using Avigilon Control Center Enterprise Network Video Management Software (NVMS) with High Definition Stream Management, Rogers Centre monitors every seat of the 50,000 capacity area and the building's perimeter live during events from its command post. Nineteen Avigilon HD Professional 16MP cameras cover the entire seating bowl while a mix of Avigilon HD 1MP, 2MP, 5MP, 11MP, and 16MP cameras monitor the building's perimeter. Three Avigilon HD Network Video Recorders (NVR) store surveillance footage.
Benefits
Rogers Centre leveraged its existing fibre network to reduce installation and management costs and Avigilon's use of JPEG2000 compression technology to reduce bandwidth requirements. Achieving complete coverage with fewer cameras and less staff than would be required to operate a traditional analogue-based PTZ solution, Rogers Centre further reduced costs. Avigilon's reliability, superior image clarity, and advanced management features facilitate investigations for quick and efficient resolution, dramatically improving the customer experience. The Avigilon HD Surveillance System also captures operational information used to make strategic customer service decisions and to deal with risk mitigation issues.
ogers Centre, formerly known as SkyDome, is one of the most dynamic and versatile entertainment complexes in the world, able to accommodate a variety of events suited for an arena, a domed stadium, and an open-air facility. Famous for its fully retractable roof, Rogers Centre is one of Toronto's top tourist attractions, hosting more than 2,000 events and more than 60 million visitors since opening in 1989.
As a public venue, Rogers Centre remains vulnerable to security risks that can result in significant damage to property or personal injury, making security a top priority. Focused on providing spectators with a safe, comfortable, and entertaining experience, Rogers Centre deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System to secure up to 50,000 seated guests during sports events, concerts, family shows, tradeshows, and conventions. As an added benefit, the Avigilon HD Surveillance System has become an important business tool used by Rogers Centre to more effectively manage events and resources in its ongoing effort to provide the ultimate spectator experience.
Powerful and flexible surveillance
As one of the few multi-purpose stadiums in North America, Rogers Centre has deployed a security plan that is flexible and readily adaptable to meet the needs of any event - ranging from 5,000 visitors at a tradeshow to 50,000 during a Blue Jays Major League Baseball game. With a variety of security solutions including access control and analogue-based surveillance systems already installed in some parts of the facility, stadium managers opted for an advanced, high definition (HD) surveillance system to cover the main seating area in an effort to better understand, assess, and manage incidents. "Because we host a range of events that require different configurations, we wanted a powerful, flexible, and cost-effective surveillance solution that could give us access to the information we need to make staffing decisions and address incidents to more successfully serve our customers," said Mario Coutinho, Vice President of stadium operations and security at Rogers Centre.
Previously, Rogers Centre had been using a portable surveillance system to manage real-time events, but with only one camera that required a human operator, many incidents were missed. "After an impressive product demonstration, we knew the Avigilon HD Surveillance System would provide superior clarity, maximum coverage, and ease of management - key features we needed to improve our incident management capabilities."
"The Avigilon HD Surveillance System is extremely reliable, scalable, and easy to use, dramatically improving our ability to effectively monitor events..."
Leveraging IT for performance gains and cost savingsWith a fibre network infrastructure already in place, Rogers Centre was in a position to cost-effectively add the Avigilon HD Surveillance System as a key element of its surveillance solution. "Having the infrastructure in place was a key factor in our decision to deploy the Avigilon HD Surveillance System," explained Coutinho. "To improve overall coverage, it is simply a matter of adding to the existing infrastructure; saving us both time and budget." Coutinho was also impressed with Avigilon's use of JPEG2000 compression technology to reduce bandwidth requirements and make more efficient use of the venue's existing network. "It's as simple as plug and play."
Using Avigilon Control Center Enterprise network video management software (NVMS) with HD Stream Management, security personnel located in the command post monitor the 50,000 seat area and building's perimeter live during events. Nineteen Avigilon HD 16MP cameras cover the entire seating bowl while a mix of Avigilon HD 1MP, 2MP, 5MP, 11MP, and 16MP cameras monitor the building's perimeter. Three Avigilon HD Network Video Recorders (NVR) store surveillance footage. "The Avigilon HD Surveillance System is extremely reliable, scalable, and easy to use, dramatically improving our ability to effectively monitor events live and playback video to resolve potential conflicts or address guest complaints after the fact," added Coutinho.
Value for the dollarWith the infrastructure already in place, making the move to the Avigilon HD Surveillance System was an easy one. "We knew we needed greater coverage in the seating area, but found the cost and management requirements of a traditional analogue-based Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) solution prohibitive, given the scope of the area that we needed to cover," commented Coutinho, who noted that he would have had to employ an operator for each PTZ camera installed. With the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, he was able to achieve complete coverage of the area with dramatically fewer cameras and fewer staff, which meant lower installation and management costs. In fact, Rogers Centre would have had to install hundreds of analogue cameras to achieve the same coverage as just 19 Avigilon HD 16MP cameras. "The Avigilon HD Surveillance System simply gave us more value for our dollar."
"Ease of navigation and superb image quality were key features for us, since we rely on the system to confirm facts about situations and deploy resources accordingly..."
Facilitating security managementAfter going through Avigilon's online training program, Rogers Centre was up and running on the Avigilon HD Surveillance System in no time. In fact, the team was immediately able to leverage Avigilon Control Center's advanced management features to view detailed footage of live events and play back recorded video to identify the nature and cause of incidents. "Ease of navigation and superb image quality were key features for us, since we rely on the system to confirm facts about situations and deploy resources accordingly to more effectively manage the incident, whether it's a medical issue, fan disturbance, or service complaint," stated Coutinho, who estimates that between 12 and 20 incidents per event require some kind of investigation. "With reliable information in hand, we can respond appropriately to incidents to enhance spectator safety, improve security management practices, and reduce costs."
Gaining operational efficiencies
Rogers Centre has also been able to achieve significant operational efficiencies. "Sometimes our guests complain about the service in the stands," said Coutinho. "With the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, we can pinpoint the exact location and time of the complaint and follow-up with the concessionaire or spectators as necessary." With this information, Rogers Centre can assess existing service levels and find new ways to provide better customer service moving forward.
In the event of liability issues, Coutinho archives footage of potentially problematic situations so the venue has irrefutable evidence for risk mitigation purposes. "Previously, we simply had no information to turn to," he explained. "At the end of the day, we now have a tool that allows us to make strategic decisions based on the facts - it's just one simple call up to our command post and we can quickly resolve a situation."
Rogers Centre is always investing in the most innovative and reliable solutions available to improve operations
Avigilon support
"Overall, I have been very pleased with our decision to work with the Avigilon team, who has provided strong support in terms of camera placement, training, and technical assistance to help us achieve optimal performance," said Coutinho. "In the past, I have had a hard time finding a surveillance solution that could meet all my needs, but Avigilon has surpassed my expectations in many ways."
HD in stadiums worldwide
Entertainment venues and sports arenas worldwide are embracing technology to gain efficiencies and enhance the spectator experience - and advanced surveillance solutions are no exception. As an important Toronto landmark and a large, multi-purpose venue, Rogers Centre is always investing in the most innovative and reliable solutions available to improve operations. "Stadium managers from around the world have come to Rogers Centre to see first-hand Avigilon's performance and advanced features," concluded Coutinho. "I expect that the Avigilon HD Surveillance System will be embraced by many of these venues because of its merits from both a safety and operational perspective."

Located in Sacramento, California, Arden Fair Mall serves a diverse market that spans a 25-mile radius and includes over 1.1 million residents. With its retail mix led by Nordstrom and a wide selection of more than 165 top apparel and specialty shops, Arden Fair Mall is merchandised to capture this dynamic market's large core of affluent and middle class shoppers. Managed by Macerich, a leading owner, operator, and developer of major retail properties across the United States, Arden Fair Mall has created a well-designed and maintained shopping and entertainment environment to meet its customers' changing needs. Committed to excellence in customer service, Arden Fair has taken the industry lead by developing an advanced, cutting-edge security programme that is anchored by the Avigilon HD Surveillance System to ensure an enjoyable retail experience.
A leader in retail security
A former Sacramento Police Department officer, Steve Reed joined Arden Fair Mall in 2000 as director of security and guest services and was tasked with revamping the mall's security programme. "The mall wasn't adequately monitored, with only 19 VHS-based cameras to monitor the entire 77-acre property", explained Reed, who brought security in-house and created a more effective security environment. "Macerich is now uniquely positioned as the only mall operator in the United States to have security operations in-house, demonstrating its commitment to the safety and security of its patrons." And amongst Macerich properties, Arden Fair takes the lead for its use of advanced security solutions.
In early 2007, Arden Fair upgraded from a VHS-based surveillance system to an analogue DVR-based system for greater coverage. At the same time, the mall installed license plate readers on two staff vehicles to monitor activity in its parking lots. "We are the only private security group in the nation with wireless access to the Department of Justice database of 220,000 stolen license plates", explained Reed, who has successfully leveraged the system to track stolen vehicles. But even with the advanced license plate readers and analogue DVR-based system, image clarity and reliability was inadequate. "After an impressive demonstration by Avigilon, I was immediately sold on the system's image quality and advanced management features." Reed enlisted the support of Delta Wireless & Surveillance Solutions, a local provider of integrated wireless and surveillance solutions to upgrade to the Avigilon HD Surveillance System for even better coverage and results.
The Avigilon advantage
"Arden Fair is a diamond in the rough-sandwiched between a high crime area to the west and a more affluent area to the east, presenting significant security challenges", noted Reed. Logging more than one thousand man-hours each week, Arden Fair security guards protect the mall's 10 million annual shoppers on foot, Segways, bicycles, and by car. Under the watchful eye of Nick Novo, Assistant Security and Guest Services Manager, the Avigilon HD Surveillance System is key to the mall's success in reducing risk and preventing incidents. "While all our security personnel have access to the system, Nick has taken the lead in its design and is the real system expert, keeping us at the top of our game," added Reed.
"With Avigilon, we have reduced auto theft by 60 percent and have a 90 percent prosecution rate..."
Arden Fair manages the Avigilon HD Surveillance System using Avigilon Control Center Enterprise Network Video Management Software (NVMS) with HD Stream Management, which was built from the ground up to manage HD surveillance video. The mall installed Avigilon HD 2 MP cameras to monitor entrances, several Avigilon HD 16 MP cameras to monitor parking lots and all access points, an Avigilon 180° Panoramic HD Dome Camera to monitor the play area, and an Avigilon HD 5 MP camera to monitor the security and guest services area - the mall's hub. Avigilon analogue video encoders were installed to improve the performance of the mall's existing analogue cameras, though Reed has plans to transition the entire system over to Avigilon as budget allows. Three Avigilon Network Video Recorders store 40 days of continuous surveillance footage-a big improvement over the previous solution, which could only store one to three weeks of footage.
A 90 percent prosecution rate
According to Reed, Avigilon's top selling feature is its superior image quality. "Even when we zoom into the smallest detail from hundreds of feet out, the clarity is amazing-it's like watching HD TV", claimed Reed, who noted the importance of image clarity for successful prosecution. Arden Fair relies on the Avigilon HD Surveillance System to capture the detail that its analogue cameras miss. "If we capture an incident in our parking lot with one of our analogue cameras but can't discern the details, we can track the vehicle with one of our Avigilon HD 16 MP cameras using Avigilon Control Center software and retrieve clear, readable plates for indisputable evidence." In fact, before Arden Fair deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, the mall experienced an extremely high rate of auto theft-incidents that were either missed entirely or if captured, were so grainy that the footage was inadmissible. "With Avigilon, we have reduced auto theft by 60 percent and have a 90 percent prosecution rate."
Superior low-light performance
Reed and his team have also been impressed with Avigilon's superior performance in low-light conditions-a critical requirement for the mall, which relies on its surveillance system 24x7. "With our analogue-based system, footage captured at night was virtually unusable because of its poor quality", commented Reed. "With Avigilon, images are totally clear and retrievable, providing much better coverage at all times of the day or night."
Exceptional time syncing and mapping
The Avigilon HD surveillance system's zooming capabilities delivers top quality, valuable evidence to the police
As the primary user of the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, Novo has found its time syncing capabilities particularly useful because he can review up to 36 cameras at once to effectively locate a suspect, determine the direction of travel, and track actions in real-time. "With Avigilon's excellent time syncing abilities, I can instantly view an incident in real-time or recorded mode to gain a complete picture for faster resolution", Novo stated. Leveraging Avigilon's advanced mapping feature, Novo created a map overview of the mall's cameras to further improve his ability to quickly locate the information he needs.
The power of ‘observe and report' security
For Reed, one of the great advantages of the Avigilon HD Surveillance System is that it delivers the irrefutable evidence needed to quickly and effectively resolve conflicts, using an ‘observe and report' model. "By deploying a security programme based on the most advanced technologies, like the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, my staff is extremely successful without having to be hands on" explained Reed. "We get a lot of satisfaction in delivering top quality, valuable evidence to the police to help them in their investigations." Having helped recover 47 stolen vehicles leading to 40 prosecutions over the past couple of years, Arden Fair has become a role model for mall operators across the country. "We travel the country showcasing our security programme and have won several industry awards for our success".
Fighting crime with indisputable evidence
Using the advanced management features of Avigilon Control Center Enterprise NVMS, Reed and his team were able to successfully identify a purse-snatcher. "After combing through our footage and leveraging the system's zooming capabilities to capture facial and license plate details, we were able to locate the individual with the stolen purse, which he had hidden under a pizza box, as he entered his vehicle", said Reed. "We handed over the footage to local law enforcement and the suspect is now being prosecuted."
"...the Avigilon HD surveillance system has clearly raised the bar as far as surveillance goes..."
A true partnership
A firm believer in partnerships for success, Reed has been very impressed with the level of support he has received from Avigilon. "Avigilon is the most supportive vendor we have dealt with", he said. With the help of Delta Wireless, installation and training have also been smooth and problem-free. "The learning curve is much faster than it was with our previous solution-the Avigilon HD Surveillance System is very user-friendly."
Spreading the word
"As part of our security initiative, we spend a lot of time marketing our advanced solutions and practices to increase awareness within the industry and deliver peace of mind to our shopping public", concluded Reed. "We are very excited to show off the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, which has clearly raised the bar as far as surveillance goes, and leaves a strong impression with everyone who sees it."